System and method for enforcing location privacy using rights management

• US 7,503,074 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dublish, Pratul, McGrath, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louie; Oscar A
• Application Number:
  US10/928,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

A system and method for securely delivering the location information of a mobile device to a location consumer is presented. In operation, the mobile device user issues a license to a location consumer. The license identifies the location consumer and any conditions the mobile device user places on the license. The license is encrypted such that it cannot be modified without invalidating the license. The license is submitted in a location request by the location consumer. A location information server receives the request, validates that the license was issued to the location consumer and that the location request conforms to the conditions of the license. If so, the location information server obtains the mobile device'"'"'s location information, generates a location response, encrypts some of the location response, and returns the location response to the location consumer.

Claims

1. A location information server configured to securely deliver location information of a mobile device to a location consumer, the location information server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing executable instructions which, when executed by the location information server, and in response to receiving a location request, cause the location information server to;

validate that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user, the location request including a license, wherein the license includes access conditions that identify conditions upon which the location consumer is authorized to access the location information of the mobile device, the access conditions comprising conditions of use based on at least one of the following;

a number of usages for which the license is valid,

at least one location for which the license is valid, and

at least one application for which the license is valid; and

determine whether the license is valid, wherein determining whether the license is valid comprises;

verifying validity of a public key associated with the mobile device,

verifying validity of a identity certificate associated with the location consumer,

verifying validity of the access conditions associated with the license, and

determining if the license if one of;

suspended and expired; and

obtain the location information of the mobile device if the location request is authorized by the mobile device user;

generate a location response, including the location information, if the location request is authorized by the mobile device user, wherein generating the location response comprises;

diluting specificity of the location information,

identifying one of;

geographic regions and areas in which the mobile device is located,

specifying which applications may use the location information, encrypting the location information in the location response; and

return the location response to the location consumer.

2. The location information server of claim 1, wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises validating that the license was issued by the mobile device user.

3. The location information server of claim 2 further comprising a key store, and wherein validating that the license was issued by the mobile device user comprises:

decrypting encrypted information in the license using a decryption key associated with the mobile device user stored in the key store; and

validating that the resulting decrypted information indicates that the license was issued by the mobile device user.

4. The location information server of claim 3, wherein the decryption key associated with the mobile device user stored in the key store is the mobile device user'"'"'s public key, and the encrypted information in the license was encrypted using a mobile device user'"'"'s corresponding private key, such that data encrypted with the mobile device user'"'"'s private key can only be validly decrypted by the mobile device user'"'"'s corresponding public key.

5. The location information server of claim 4, wherein validating that the resulting decrypted information indicates that the license was issued by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the encrypted information is properly decrypted by the mobile device user'"'"'s public key.

6. The location information server of claim 5, wherein the location request further includes a location consumer identifier that uniquely identifies the location consumer issuing the location request;

wherein the resulting decrypted information includes a location consumer identifier uniquely identifying the location consumer to whom the license is issued; and

wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user further comprises determining whether the location consumer identifier in the location request corresponds to the location consumer identifier in the decrypted information.

7. The location information server of claim 2 further comprising a license-related information store that stores license-related information for validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user.

8. The location information server of claim 7, wherein the license-related information store stores revocation information identifying licenses that have been revoked by the mobile device user, and wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the license has been revoked according to the revocation information in the license-related information store.

9. The location information server of claim 7, wherein license-related information store stores suspension information identifying licenses that are currently suspended by the mobile device user, and wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the license is currently suspended according to the suspension information in the license-related information store.

10. The location information server of claim 7, wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises evaluating the access conditions to validate that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user.

11. The location information server of claim 10, wherein the license-related information store stores access condition information for enforcing the access conditions identified in the license.

12. The location information server of claim 2, wherein generating the location response comprises encrypting at least some of the location response, including the location information, using an encryption key associated with the location consumer.

13. The location information server of claim 12, wherein the location request further includes the location consumer'"'"'s encryption key.

14. The location information server of claim 13, wherein the location consumer'"'"'s encryption key is the location consumer'"'"'s public key, such that the encrypted portion of the location response can only be validly decrypted by the location consumer'"'"'s corresponding private key.

15. The location information server of claim 12, wherein the license identifies use conditions for controlling how the location consumer may use the location information, and wherein generating the location response further comprises including the identified use conditions in the location response.

16. The location information server of claim 15, wherein the license further identifies precision conditions for specifying the precision of the location information returned to the location consumer, and wherein generating the location response further comprises processing the location information according to the precision conditions.

17. The location information server of claim 12, wherein the location response is generated in such a manner as to render the included location information unusable if it is altered.

18. The location information server of claim 2, wherein the license is issued by the mobile device user such that any modification to the license invalidates the license.

19. A computer networked system configured to securely deliver location information regarding a mobile device from a mobile service provider to a location consumer, the system comprising:

a location-based service provider communicatively coupled to at least one mobile service provider, and also communicatively coupled to a location consumer; and

a mobile service provider that provides communication services to the mobile device through a mobile service infrastructure, and that includes a location information server configured such that, in response to receiving a location request from a location consumer, the location information server;

validates that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user, the location request including a license, wherein the license includes access conditions that identify conditions upon which the location consumer is authorized to access the location information of the mobile device, the access conditions comprising conditions of use based on at least one of the following;

a number of usages for which the license is valid,

at least one location for which the license is valid, and

at least one application for which the license is valid; and

determines whether the license is valid, wherein determining whether the license is valid comprises;

verifying validity of a public key associated with the mobile device,

verifying validity of a identity certificate associated with the location consumer,

verifying validity of the access conditions associated with the license, and

determining if the license if one of;

suspended and expired; and

obtains the location information regarding the mobile device if the location request is authorized by the mobile device user;

generates a location response if the location request is authorized by the mobile device user, the location response including the location information, wherein generating the location response comprises;

diluting specificity of the location information,

identifying one of;

geographic regions and areas in which the mobile device is located,

specifying which applications may use the location information, encrypting the location information in the location response; and

returns the location response to the location consumer.

20. The computer networked system of claim 19, wherein the location information server receives the location request from the location-based service provider, and wherein the location information server returns the location response to the location consumer through the location-based service provider.

21. The computer networked system of claim 20, wherein the location-based service provider, upon receiving a location request from a location consumer, is configured to identify the mobile service provider servicing the mobile device targeted by the location request, and forward the location request to the identified mobile service provider'"'"'s location information server.

22. The computer networked system of claim 21, wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises validating that the license was issued by the mobile device user.

23. The computer networked system of claim 22, wherein the location information server comprises a key store, and wherein validating that the license was issued by the mobile device user comprises:

decrypting encrypted information in the license using a decryption key associated with the mobile device user stored in the key store; and

validating that the resulting decrypted information indicates that the license was issued by the mobile device user.

24. The computer networked system of claim 23, wherein the decryption key associated with the mobile device user stored in the key store is the mobile device user'"'"'s public key, and the encrypted information in the license was encrypted using a mobile device user'"'"'s corresponding private key, such that data encrypted with the mobile device'"'"'s device user key can only be validly decrypted by the mobile device user'"'"'s corresponding public key.

25. The computer networked system of claim 24, wherein validating that the resulting decrypted information indicates that the license was issued by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the encrypted information is properly decrypted by the mobile device user'"'"'s public key.

26. The computer networked system of claim 25, wherein the location request further includes a location consumer identifier that uniquely identifies the location consumer issuing the location request;

wherein the resulting decrypted information includes a location consumer identifier uniquely identifying the location consumer to whom the license is issued; and

wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user further comprises determining whether the location consumer identifier in the location request corresponds to the location consumer identifier in the decrypted information.

27. The computer networked system of claim 22, wherein the location information server further comprises a license-related information store that stores license-related information for validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user.

28. The computer networked system of claim 27, wherein the license-related information store stores revocation information identifying licenses that have been revoked by the mobile device user, and wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the license has been revoked according to the revocation information in the license-related information store.

29. The computer networked system of claim 27, wherein license-related information store stores suspension information identifying licenses that are currently suspended by the mobile device user, and wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the license is currently suspended according to the suspension information in the license-related information store.

30. The computer networked system of claim 27 wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises evaluating the access conditions to validate that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user.

31. The computer networked system of claim 30, wherein the license-related information store stores access condition information for enforcing the access conditions identified in the license.

32. The computer networked system of claim 22, wherein generating the location response comprises encrypting at least some of the location response, including the location information, using an encryption key associated with the location consumer.

33. The computer networked system of claim 32, wherein the location request further includes the location consumer'"'"'s encryption key.

34. The computer networked system of claim 33, wherein the location consumer'"'"'s encryption key is the location consumer'"'"'s public key, such that the encrypted portion of the location response can only be validly decrypted by the location consumer'"'"'s corresponding private key.

35. The computer networked system of claim 32, wherein the license identifies use conditions for controlling how the location consumer may use the location information, and wherein generating the location response further comprises including the identified use conditions in the location response.

36. The computer networked system of claim 35, wherein the license further identifies precision conditions for specifying the precision of the location information returned to the location consumer, and wherein generating the location response further comprises processing the location information according to the precision conditions.

37. The computer networked system of claim 32, wherein the location response is generated in such a manner as to render the included location information unusable if it is altered.

38. The computer networked system of claim 22, wherein the license is issued by the mobile device user such that any modification to the license invalidates the license.

39. A method of securely delivering location information of a mobile device to a location consumer, executed by a location information server, in response to a location request, the method comprising:

on the location information server, validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user, the location request including a license, wherein the license includes access conditions that identify conditions upon which the location consumer is authorized to access the location information of the mobile device, the access conditions comprising conditions of use based on at least one of the following;

a number of usages for which the license is valid,

at least one location for which the license is valid, and

at least one application for which the license is valid; and

determining whether the license is valid, wherein determining whether the license is valid comprises;

verifying validity of a public key associated with the mobile device,

verifying validity of a identity certificate associated with the location consumer,

verifying validity of the access conditions associated with the license, and

determining if the license if one of;

suspended and expired; and

if the location request is authorized by the mobile device user;

obtaining location information of the mobile device;

generating a location response, the location response including the obtained location information, wherein generating the location response comprises;

diluting specificity of the location information,

identifying one of;

geographic regions and areas in which the mobile device is located,

specifying which applications may use the location information, encrypting the location information in the location response; and

returning the location response to the location consumer.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises validating that the location license was issued by the mobile device user.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein validating that the location license was issued by the mobile device user comprises:

decrypting encrypted information in the location license using a decryption key associated with the mobile device user; and

validating that the resulting decrypted information indicates that the location license was issued by the mobile device user.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the decryption key associated with the mobile device user is the mobile device user'"'"'s public key, and the encrypted information in the location license was encrypted using the mobile device user'"'"'s corresponding private key, such that data encrypted with the mobile device user'"'"'s private key can only be validly decrypted by the mobile device user'"'"'s corresponding public key.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein validating that the resulting decrypted information indicates that the location license was issued by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the encrypted information is properly decrypted by the mobile device user'"'"'s public key.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the location request further includes a location consumer identifier that uniquely identifies the location consumer issuing the location request;

wherein the resulting decrypted information includes a location consumer identifier uniquely identifying the location consumer to whom the location license is issued; and

wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user further comprises determining whether the location consumer identifier in the location request corresponds to the location consumer identifier in the decrypted information.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the location license has been revoked according to revocation information stored by the location information server.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the location license is currently suspended according to suspension information stored by the location information server.

47. The method of claim 40 wherein validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user comprises determining whether the location request conforms to the access conditions identified in the location license.

48. The method of claim 40, wherein generating the location response comprises encrypting at least some of the location response, including the obtained location information, using an encryption key associated with the location consumer.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the location request further includes the encryption key associated with the location consumer.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the encryption key associated with the location consumer is the location consumer'"'"'s public key of a public/private key pair, such that data encrypted with the location consumer'"'"'s public key can only be decrypted by the location consumer'"'"'s corresponding private key.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the location license identifies use conditions for controlling how the location consumer may use the location information, and wherein generating the location response further comprises including the identified use conditions in the location response.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the location license further identifies precision conditions that specify the precision of the location information returned to the location consumer, and wherein generating the location response further comprises processing the location information according to the precision conditions.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein generating the location response further comprises generating the location response in such a manner as to render the included location information unusable if it is altered.

54. A memory bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computing device, carry out a method of securely delivering location information of a mobile device to a location consumer in response to a location request, the method comprising:

validating that the location request is authorized by the mobile device user, the location request including a license, wherein the license includes access conditions that identify conditions upon which the location consumer is authorized to access the location information of the mobile device, the access conditions comprising conditions of use based on at least one of the following;

a number of usages for which the license is valid,

at least one location for which the license is valid, and

at least one application for which the license is valid;

determining whether the license is valid, wherein determining whether the license is valid comprises;

verifying validity of a public key associated with the mobile device,

verifying validity of a identity certificate associated with the location consumer,

verifying validity of the access conditions associated with the license, and

determining if the license is one of;

suspended and expired; and

if the location request is authorized by the mobile device user;

obtaining the location information of the mobile device;

generating a location response, the location response including the obtained location information, wherein generating the location response comprises;

diluting specificity of the location information,

identifying one of;

geographic regions and areas in which the mobile device is located,

specifying which applications may use the location information, encrypting

the location information in the location response; and

returning the encrypted location response to the location consumer.